Jenny, June is right they are chilli peppers and you reap them as and when you want to. The longer they stay on the plant they will go from green to orange to red. So it really means that your son needs to tell you want colour he wants them culled.

Nippy if you pic them use gloves and make sure you wash your hands after and don't rub your eyes or other sensitive parts of your body before you have washed your hands. And yes as they ripen and get redder they are then at there hottest. If you can, snip them off with scissors with a bowl underneath to catch them then you don't have to touch them.